Mueez Ajao
– Mohamed Salah’s failure to win silverware with Liverpool last season will prevent him from clinching the 2021 Ballon d’Or, legendary ex-Cameroon goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell says.
– The former Indomitable Lions and Marseille stopper, meanwhile, praised Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, whose outstanding debut season in London including victory in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final wasn’t enough to see him included in the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist.
– Salah’s form in the Premier League through 2021 has been irrepressible, with the forward scoring 14 goals in his past 11 matches across all competitions, while breaking Didier Drogba’s longstanding record for goals scored by an African player in the top flight.
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– However, Bell believes he’s set to miss out on the grandest individual prize in the sport.
– “Salah has had a fantastic season, but he also did that last year,” Bell told ESPN.
– “There’s no doubt that Salah is clearly among the best players in the world, but we have to be honest about this.
– “When people talk about who should win the Ballon d’Or, they always ask, ‘What did he win?’ and we have to apply this to everyone.
– “Salah wasn’t champion of England, he wasn’t champion of Africa, whereas others won things, so it makes it very hard to say that Salah deserves the Ballon d’Or more than other people.”
– Despite not claiming any honours last term, when Liverpool struggled with injury problems as they attempted to defend the Premier League title, Salah did net 22 league goals to ensure almost single-handedly that the Reds qualified for the UEFA Champions League.
